A viral video of Dr. Shakira Ofili, a director at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), has ignited a firestorm on social media after she alleged that Nigerian lawmakers routinely collect bribes from government agencies during oversight visits.
Speaking at a capacity-building workshop for directors and committee clerks on June 27 in Abuja, Ofili didn’t mince words as she accused legislators of engaging in practices that erode the credibility of the National Assembly.
She claimed that lawmakers often bypass established procedures by hiring external consultants to falsify public hearing reports, effectively sidelining committee clerks who are mandated by law to prepare such documentation.
“These unethical practices,” she said in the now-viral footage, “not only compromise the core functions of legislative oversight but also cast a shadow over the institution’s credibility.”
Civil society organisations and good governance advocates who weighed in, described Ofili’s exposé as a rare act of courage, and urged anti-graft agencies to take swift action.
